STAGS: Murray agonises over late Yeovil winner

John Lomas

Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray lamented Yeovil Town’s ‘smash and grab’ 1-0 win that saw Stags miss out on a great chance to get back

into the play-off places on Saturday.

With 0-0 written all over the game, Yeovil defender Ryan Dickson bagged his second goal in as many games in stoppage time at the end to break home hearts.

With other games going Mansfield’s way Murray admitted it was a chance wasted and said: “I am utterly, utterly disappointed. I think that was a perfect smash and grab from them and their captain just came off and apologised.

“To say we are gutted is an understatement. We have put ourselves in a position where if we are not going to be ruthless in the final third or make better decisions, you have to defend life or death to 94 minutes.

“We had more than enough chances, but if you don’t take them you’re always liable to a sucker punch as we were today.

“We have something like 12 or 13 efforts and they have to be goals, we’ve had glorious chances. That’s the way it goes. You can’t make decisions for people or play the game for them.

“That is why at the minute we can’t make that next step.”

He continued: “We do ever so well, but that final step is a bit too big. We just have to keep working hard – we can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat. We are what we are. We are doing what we can.

“We never really felt under threat today and we got in their final third loads of times and had nothing at the end of it.

“Overall generally we played well to create so many chances.”

Murray said anyone thinking Stags should beat a side like Yeovil in the relegation battle should think again.

“The arrogance of it is that some people might feel all we had to do was turn up, as they are where they are in the league, and beat them.